After nearly five decades in the thick of India’s legal fray, Dushyant Dave has quietly stepped away from the courtrooms, the arguments, and the battle for justice. No press conference. No formal farewell. Just a WhatsApp message.
“After having spent 48 glorious years at the Bar and having just celebrated my 70th wonderful birthday, I have decided to quit the profession of law,” Dave wrote, signing off with a heartfelt goodbye to his friends on the Bench and at the Bar.
No scandal. No controversy. Just time, age, and a desire to clear the path for younger voices. “Let young people come and do it,” he said, ruling out even the most high-profile exceptions. Not one last case. Not one encore appearance. “I have been thinking of hanging up my boots and spending time with my grandkids.”
And that’s exactly the plan. Alongside golf, reading, travel, and conversations over tea, Dave’s retirement will be far from idle. He’s planning to adopt a taluk in Sankheda, near Baroda, and contribute in ways as earthy as agriculture and as essential as housing.
“I intend to work for the society at large in my own small way in coming times,” he said, expressing deep gratitude to his wife Ami—his “rock” through the highs and the courtroom storms. Delhi will remain home, but Baroda will see a lot more of him too.
Dave’s legal career began in 1977. From the courts of Ahmedabad to the chambers of the Supreme Court, he carved a practice that spanned civil, constitutional, and arbitration work. He was designated Senior Advocate in 1994, and helmed the Supreme Court Bar Association thrice—2014, 2019, and 2020. His advocacy was as fierce as it was fearless, whether arguing landmark constitutional cases or calling out injustices from either end of the legal spectrum.
Known for his candid views, he often stood apart—not shy about critiquing the Bench or the ruling powers when he believed the occasion demanded it.
In his farewell note, Dave reflected on a career steeped in trust and gratitude: “Clients have placed full faith in me at all levels… I have enjoyed this journey immensely and do believe I have contributed to some extent in the quest for justice.”
He didn’t forget those who stood beside him every step of the way—colleagues, staff, friends in the legal trenches—and signed off with pride, leaving the profession and the justice system with one hope: that the generations to come will guard the ever-fragile, ever-tested rule of law.
No drama. No curtain call. Just a quiet exit from a man who never needed a spotlight to leave a mark.
